Up In Flames
by Pebblemist of LightClan
Summary: It's a seemingly typical Friday night, and Riley and Maya have plans to hang out and go shopping. But when tragedy strikes, their plans- along with Riley's home- go up in flames.
1. A History Lesson

**Hey, guys! Pebblemist here with a new story! I am in no way abandoning my other stories, don't worry. Fight To Survive is being put on hiatus, and I will be working on this and Girl Meets Bullying at the same time. But because of school and stuff, I might not be updating as fast. I just got the idea for this fic and felt the need to start it as soon as I could! This is also an attempt to write in the first person POV! I'm excited! So, please enjoy! :)**

_Riley's Point Of View_

"The Triangle Factory Fire. March 25th, 1911," Daddy said as he wrote it on the chalkboard. "One of the most devastating tragedies in New York history."

The whole class seemed to be falling asleep, and yet class hadn't even been in session for five minutes. Of the few that didn't have their heads on their desks, almost all of them had confused looks on their face, as if they had no idea what he was talking about.

I was used to people giving my father those looks. _I _gave him those looks often enough. This was one of those times. I had never heard of the Triangle Factory Fire. I don't think anyone in class had. Even Farkle looked confused, and that's not something that happens very often. I promptly raised my hand, my head slightly tilted to the side.

"Yes, Riley?" My father asked.

"What's that?" I blurted out before I could stop myself. I probably should have said something like 'What's the Triangle Factory Fire?' or 'I've never heard of that,' or pretty much anything, other than 'What's that?' but, you can't change the past. So what if everyone giggled? I embarrass myself enough, one more time won't hurt.

My father tried not to laugh at my very vague question. "Before I answer that, why don't I ask you all a question. Do any of you know why doors open out instead of in? Why it's against the law to have anything too close to the ceiling?"

No one raised their hand. Not even Farkle.

Then, out of the corner of my eyes, I see the girl next to me raise her hand. _Maya knows all of these things? _I thought. _Who is that girl and what has she done with Maya?_

"Yes, Maya?" Dad said, looking just as surprised as I am. _This can't be possible. She's just gonna say something sarcastic. She knows nothing about these laws, I'm sure of it._

"Because of. . . something. Something that has to do with a triangle-shaped factory on fire."

I rolled my eyes and leaned over to whisper in Maya's ear. "Are you serious?"

She shrugged, smirking. I turned to see my father's reaction.

"Well, that's. . . _one_ way of looking at it," he said. "But it's absolutely incorrect. Yes, Farkle?"

"I may not know anything about it," Farkle said from behind me, "But I'm pretty sure that the Triangle Factory was not shaped like a triangle."

"No, it wasn't," my dad said, smiling. Then his face grew serious. "We have these laws so that nothing like the events of the Fire ever happens again."

I raise my hand. "Then what happened, Dad?"

"Okay, imagine this. There's this building," he began. "People are tightly packed together in horrible conditions, for hours with little pay.

"That's horrible!" I blurt out. Me and my big mouth.

Dad continued as if I had never said anything, which was perfectly fine by me. "The people, mostly women, are cutting fabric- highly flammable fabric, may I add- and making shirts. The fabric left over just gets shoved into boxes under the tables, to get picked up every few months. There are two month's worth of fabric, just sitting in the boxes."

"You're hinting at something, aren't you?" Maya asked without raising her hand. "Can we just get on with it?"

I rolled my eyes. Typical Maya.

"A man on the eighth floor lights a cigarette, and and ash gets flicked into one of the boxes. KABLAM!"-everyone in class, including me, jumped (I may or may not have squealed a little)-"The fire that changed America."

The whole class was silent. No one said a word, or even raised their hand, letting the feeling sink in. No one had known about something that had affected their every day lives. I don't know about anyone else, but I sure felt ashamed.

"Sheets of fabric hung from the ceilings," Dad continued. "They lit on fire and fell on top of people, lighting their hair and clothes on fire. The sheets of fabric on the table caught on fire. Doors opened inward instead of out, and the panicking workers crowded around the doors."

"So they couldn't open the doors," I said, my voice coming out at barely over a whisper. "Did people. . . _die?"_

He nodded. "One-Hundred and Forty-Six people died that day. Some from smoke inhalation, but most panicked and jumped out the windows."

"But if they were eight stories up, why did they jump? There's no way anyone could have survived the jump," my heart melted when I heard Lucas' voice. I wasn't sure if we were a 'thing' now, even if he'd had his moment. "That's plain stupid, if you ask me."

"Well, nobody's asking you, Bucky McBoingBoing," Maya muttered.

"Think about what you would do," Dad said, and the room grew quiet again, everyone thinking about what they would have done if they were put in a situation like this. Finally, after a long, awkward silence, I raised my hand.

"If I couldn't escape, I'd jump."

Everyone looked at me like I'd grown a second head. I could feel my face grow hot, my cheeks probably turning pink.

"What?" I asked defensively.

"Think about it," Farkle piped up. "You could choose to suffocate and die slowly and painfully, or jump, die instantly, and feel no pain."

"Farkle and Riley are right," Dad agreed. "What do you think was going through the minds of the people who jumped?"

I looked back at Lucas, and could see the understanding is his green eyes. "If I stayed, my family wouldn't have a body to identify and bury, either," he said.

"But if you jumped, they would," I added. "And there would still be a _slight _chance of survival."

"Now that we've cleared that up," Dad said. "How many of you can figure out why we have these laws?"

Everyone raised their hand. Daddy gave a satisfied smile.

"You see? Even the most tragic events can have a positive affect on history. If this hadn't happened, what would stop something similar from happening at this very school? And you said history has nothing to do with us!"

"That was a long time ago, Dad," I said. "I think we learned that history has a lot to do with us when we did that 1960s assignment."

Before he could say anything, the bell rang. I grabbed my bag and waited for Maya before heading to my next class.

* * *

><p><em>Even the most tragic events can have a positive affect on history.<em>

Those words stuck with for the rest of the school day. No joke. I'd never known my dad was so. . . _wise. _Mr. Feeny taught him so well.

I'd heard the stories of Mr. Feeny. I'd heard the stories of pretty much my parent's entire childhood, really. About Shawn and Feeny and Mom and Dad. The stories got a little old sometimes, but they were still interesting. A particular favorite of mine is about Mom and Dad's first kiss. . .

"Riley. . . Riley. . . Earth to Riley!"

I blinked and found myself sitting with my friends at out usual booth at Svorski's. I blushed.

"Guess I zoned out a little," I said, pulling myself into reality.

It was Maya who'd yelled in my ear. I glared at her, trying to be mad, but the grin on her face was way too hard to stay mad at. I'm such a softie.

"Are you okay, Riles?" Maya asked. "You seem a little. . . off, today."

"Yeah, I've noticed, to," Lucas agreed. My stomach did a flip. "Ever since the history lesson this morning."

I shrugged. "I don't know guys. . . Just. . . thinking, I guess."

"You think too much, you know that?" Maya nudged me in the ribs. I rolled my eyes.

"I can't believe none of us knew about something so important," Farkle piped up.

"I know, right? I feel so bad right now!" Lucas said.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, some people died in a fire. _So important," _Maya muttered. She then turned to me. "Hey, Riles, am I sleeping over tonight?"

"Oh my God, it's Friday, isn't it?" I suddenly realized, feeling stupid. "Yeah, my parents said yes."

"Great," Maya said, smiling. "What should we do?"

She didn't even have to ask. We locked eyes and grinned. "Shopping," we said in unison.

"What is it with girls and shopping?" Lucas asked. I shrugged.

"I dunno. Shopping's fun."

"You mean staring at stuff you know you can never afford until Riley offers to buy it for me, yeah, pretty fun," Maya said.

"Stop over-exaggerating!" I lightly hit her in the head with the menu. She smiled at me, and I knew she was joking.

"Whatever," she said with a smirk.

"You two are too much," Lucas said, with that smile that always melted my heart. He was so cute!

"Alright, you guys," Maya interrupted what could have been a sweet moment with Lucas. She looked at me and grabbed my wrist. "We should go get ready so we can be out shopping for as long as we want. Bye!" she proceeded to drag me away from the table.

I looked up at Lucas with what I hoped was a 'help me' look. He grabbed my other wrist and easily pulled me away from Maya.

"She knows how to walk, Maya," he pointed out. Maya rolled her eyes. "But she's right, you should go and get ready," he said with a smile, leaning down and-

My heart stopped.

He kissed me on the cheek!

"Alright, come on," Maya said. But my legs felt frozen. I couldn't move.

Maya dragged me away, snapping my brain out of dreamland.

**So, what'd you think? The story's only just beginning!**

**If ya don't mind my asking, please leave a review on your way out! :)**


	2. Don't Burn The House Down!

_Riley's Point of View_

It was just a short walk back to my apartment from the bakery. Maya and I didn't talk much the entire way there. It was an awkward silence, one that I felt I needed to break.

"He kissed me!" I blurted out. Why am I so awkward?

"I saw," Maya said, smiling.

"Does this mean we're a 'thing' now?"

She shrugged. "I don't know. Are you?"

My shoulders drooped. "That's why I asked you!" I shook my head. "Well, if we are, then I'm really happy, butI'mnotsureifI'mreadyyetand-"

"Whoa, Riley." Maya interrupted me. "Calm down. . . that's right. . . _Breathe"__  
><em>

"I'm breathing," I told her. She smirked.

"Now say what you were saying, but _slower," _Maya said calmly.

I took a deep breath. "I'm really happy that Lucas likes me, but I'm not sure if I'm ready for a relationship just yet."

"You know that I don't know as much as you think I know," Maya said. "How can I tell you what to do if I don't know what to do? Use common sense, Riles."

"Oh, Maya," I said, smiling. "You know I don't use common sense. My sense is anything but common!"

Maya rolled her eyes as we came to a stop in front of my building. "Whatever."

She led the way upstairs, up to apartment #26. My home. She burst through the door with such force that I thought she might knock it of of the hinges.

"I'm ho-ome!" she yelled, her voice echoing through the living room. I expected to hear Auggie and my parents giggling at her entrance. But the apartment was silent.

"Mom?" I called. "Dad? Auggie?" My heart rate began to increase. "Oh, Maya, what if something terrible happened to them?" I looked at Maya, who seemed completely calm. She pointed to a piece of paper on the counter.

"Look, sweetie," she said, sarcasm dripping from her voice. "They left a _note."_

I felt my face grow hot. "Oh," I said, embarrassed. I made my way over to the counter, where a note in my Mom's handwriting was laying. I picked it up and read it.

_Riley,_

_Your father_ _and I both have to work late today. Then we must go and sign the rest of the papers so that we officially own part of Mrs. Svorski's bakery. We should be home by 7:00. Auggie is out getting ice cream with Ava. Maya is welcome to sleep over, since it's Friday. Have fun, and try not to burn the house down!_

_- Mom_

I read the note out loud to Maya. I checked the time on my phone. 4:30.

"We have _hours _until Mom and Dad get home," I groaned. "We have to wait and ask them if we can go shopping. What if we're out later than seven?"

"Riley, you know all we have to do is write them a note," Maya said. "They can't say no if we're already gone, can they?"

I shrugged. "I guess you're right."

"I know I'm right," Maya smirked. "Come on, let's get ready."

* * *

><p>"What should I wear?" I fretted, holding up two dresses. They were the exact same dresses, but one was light blue and the other was dark.<p>

Maya sat on my bed, looking bored. "How about _what you're wearing?" _

"I guess so," I sighed, hanging the dresses back up.

"I don't see why you need to change your clothes to go _shopping,_"she said, raising her eyebrows at me.

I shrugged. "I dunno. I felt like changin- is that a fire alarm?"

**_CRASH!_**

A piece of the ceiling fell, crashing down onto the floor, dangerously close to my foot. Maya and I screamed.

The chunk of ceiling was on fire, and it quickly lit my rug. I panicked. My muscles wouldn't move, no matter how much I tried. I was frozen.

"Riley!" Maya's voice over the crackling flames snapped me into action. "The fire escape!"

Another flaming hunk of ceiling crashed down. Now I could hear the screams of the people up stairs, yelling "Fire!"

The pillows around the window caught fire. Now it was impossible to get to my window without going through flames.

"It's too dangerous!" I yelled. "Let's get out of here!"

I opened the bedroom door to see that everything was engulfed in flames. Maya led the way. We fought our way through the living room, which was hard, considering I couldn't see anything through the smoke.

My lungs were killing me. Every breath felt like I was being stabbed in the chest. I had no idea what was going on. How had this happened? Why was the apartment on fire?

I didn't know. What I did know was that we _had _to get out of there. _Fast._

We ran down the stairs, leaving the apartment. I had never been so glad that my parents and Auggie weren't home yet in my life.

The flames rushed down the flammable carpet below our feet. We had to move fast, or else our feet would get burned.

I tripped. I couldn't help it! I ended up face first on the bottom stair. The fire was catching up, and as soon as I got to my feet (with Maya's help) they singed my shoes. I let out a strangled yelp, my chest heaving. It was getting hard to breathe. I needed air.

We were now on the first floor, which was also engulfed in flames. I had no idea where to go. I could see a door, but my head was spinning. It could have been just a hallucination, for all I knew.

I started to stumble. Maya turned to me, worry in her eyes. "You okay, Riles?" she rasped. I nodded, not wanting to speak. It would make the pain in my chest and throat even worse. Maya turned around, leading the way once more.

But I was not okay. Black appeared on the edges of my vision. My legs gave away, and I fell to the ground, the thump my body made lost in the sounds of blaring fire alarms and sizzling flames.

"Maya," I called weakly. But she didn't hear me. I watched her form disappear into the smoke. My chest burned, my muscles ached. "May. . .aaaah. . ." I whispered. It was no use. Flames lapped at my face, but I was too weak to react to the searing pain. _Don't burn the house down, _I thought. _Too late for that. . . _Within moments, my world faded into darkness.


	3. Please Don't Go

**Hey guys! guess what? Two updates in one day! Enjoy!**

_Maya's POV_

I couldn't breathe for much longer. My vision was getting fuzzy, and my lungs wanted to kill me. I was scared, ready to just die. Right then and there. I could have just let go. Given up.

But I'm Maya Hart. Only a Clutterbucket would give up. I'm no Clutterbucket. And besides, I had Riley to take care of. She needed me, almost as much as I needed her. I couldn't just _leave _her, could I?

I stepped through the debris, every few seconds making sure that my little plant was still behind me. The exit was so close, but so far. I swear I heard a noise, but I assumed I was making it up. I wasn't exactly in a great state of mind.

I stepped on something. Looking down, my stomach did a flip. Under my foot was a hand, and attached to the hand was something I'd hoped never to see. A dead body. I shuddered, and tried to call a warning to Riley, but my voice didn't feel like working. I figured she'd probably not see it, and continued on my way.

The smoke became thicker, obscuring my vision and making it more painful to breathe. Soon, I couldn't see at all. I stumbled around in the direction of the ambulances and fire engines.

_Good, _I thought upon hearing the sound. _Someone called 911. . ._

My legs gave out from underneath me and I burst out into a fit of coughing. "Help!" I was able to call out feebly. I could hear voices coming from. . . somewhere. I closed my eyes, hoping beyond hope that the voices were real, and that I wasn't just going crazy from smoke inhalation. "I don't want to die!"

With every word it felt like someone stabbing me in the chest repeatedly. One of the worst feelings in the world.

I could hear footsteps. With every step, the voices were getting closer. I struggled to my feet, glancing around. I couldn't see anyone, not even Riley, who was right behind me. . . right?

The voices became clearer. ". . . have to rescue. . ." a male voice was saying. Suddenly, out of the smoke, a figure loomed over me. A firefighter!

"You're going to be okay, ma'am," he said to me reassuringly, his oxygen mask making him sound funny. He scooped me up in his arms, and carried me away.

"But. . ." I whispered, unable to make my voice louder than a whisper. "What about. . . Riley?"

"We'll find her," the firefighter said. I wasn't too thrilled by that, but I was too weak to do anything. I closed my eyes and prayed that everything would be alright. Maybe this was just a dream!

Ugh. Why is it when something bad happens your first thought is always that it is just a dream? Eh. That was definitely the least of my worries.

I opened my eyes to a blinding light. We were outside. I could finally breathe. The further I got from the flaming building, the more I could feel my strength coming back, until I finally pushed myself out of the man's arms. I landed on the ground, catching myself with my hands before my face could hit the asphalt.

"Whoa, there," the firefighter said. "Take it easy kid. You've inhaled a lot of smoke."

I started to stress out. I glanced around, at people being carried on stretchers not one of them bearing any resemblance to Riley. I stood up on shaky legs, looking up at the fireman.

Behind him, Riley's apartment building was completely engulfed in flames. It looked like it could fall apart at any time. With Riley still in it.

"Sir," I said, panic bubbling up inside of me. "M-my best friend. . . she's still in there." I pointed a shaky finger at the unstable building. "You-you have to find her. . ."

"The others are looking, miss," the fireman said. "You need to relax, you're in shock."

"Relax? Relax?" I couldn't take the stress anymore. "My best friend could be _dying _and you want me to _relax?"_

He placed his hands on my shoulders, shaking them roughly. "Ma'am, what's your name and where are you parents?" he said, gently, his voice helping to calm me down. I realized how important this was.

"M-Maya Hart," I said, though I didn't feel like a Hart. I felt like the biggest Clutterbucket in the world. How could I have not realized that Riley wasn't behind me? Her life was in danger, all because of me. "My mom is Katy Hart, and she is at work. . . The Nighthawk Diner."

The fireman cringed. "That's far. We'll try to contact her, though." He told a man passing by to call my mother's diner. "What about your father?"

I looked down. "He left when I was a baby. I never met him." my throat felt dry. "Don't throw me a pity party."

"Are there any other relatives we can notify?"

A lightbulb went off in my brain. "Riley's family. I-I have my phone. Th-they need to know that their home is on fire. . ."

I pulled out the smartphone that Riley's father had given me. I called Mrs. Matthews first, knowing that she would want to be the first to know.

"Maya?" her voice sounded on the other line. I put her on speaker. "Wha- is Riley with you? I'm, at work, do you need."

My heart raced. This was going to be the hardest thing I'd ever done. "Mrs. Matthews. . . your apartment. . . the whole building is. . ."

"Is what?" I could hear the confusion in Mrs. Matthews' voice.

"On fire," I choked out.

"WHAT!" the volume of her voice made me jump. "Are you okay?"

"I am but. . ." with every word, reality seemed to finally be true. "It's Riley. . . she's-she's. . ." tears streamed down my face, and I let out a sob.

"No!" Mrs. Matthews cried.

The fireman took the phone from me. "Ma'am, we are searching for your daughter as we speak. I don't mean to make you lose hope, but there is a chance that she may be gone."

I didn't hear the rest of the conversation. I didn't want to hear it. Riley could be dead and it was all my fault. There was nothing I could do.

I fell to my knees, crying harder than I've ever cried before. I heard a familiar voice.

"Maya! What's wrong? What happened?" I knew that voice. Farkle's voice.

I forced myself to look up. Farkle and Lucas were standing at the police tape, both looking confused and worried.

"Riley," I whispered hoarsely. "She could be hurt, or even. . ." my voice trailed off. I didn't want to say it. But i had to. "...she could be dead."

"What?" the boys cried in unison.

"What happened?" Farkle asked.

"I don't know!" I cried, choking back sobs. Lucas and Farkle hugged me through the police tape. I yelped in pain; they had touched a burn.

"I'm sorry!" Lucas pulled out of the hug. Farkle began jumping up and down, waving his hands wildly.

"Is that her?" he asked, pointing behind me. I turned around.

A girl was being carried on a stretcher towards one of the ambulances. Her wavy brown hair had been singed, her face had horrible scratches and burns on it, at least from what I could see.

I tore away from the boys without a word, only to be stopped by a police officer.

"Ma'am," he said, but I interrupted him.

"That's my best friend right there," I said, sounding more confident then I felt. "And you _will _let me see her."

The officer paused. He stepped out of the way, letting me through. "Very well, then."

I ran over to the girl, climbing into the ambulance they had just placed her in. No one said anything about my presence their. Now I was able to get a good look at her. She looked sickly and pale, and her face was severely damaged. But it was Riley all right. It had to be.

She wasn't moving, giving no response. They had her hooked up to a machine. My heart stopped for a second when I realized that she wasn't breathing on her own.

"Riley," I whispered. My little plant looked like she'd actually been run over by a bulldozer. "Riley, you have to be alright. . . you-you can't leave me. . ."

A paramedic led me away from her, but not without me putting up a fight. Finally, she took her back to Farkle and Lucas, having seen me with them earlier.

"How is she?" Lucas asked.

I looked down. "She's not breathing-" they both gasped- "On her own." the relaxed.

Another familiar voice came into the picture. The motherly voice that my own mother never used.

"Maya!" it was Mrs. Matthews, her eyes red and puffy, tears streaming down her face. "Are you- where is- I'm so sorry. . ." she stopped to catch her breath.

"They found her, Mrs. M," I said. "It's not good. . ." I buried my face into her chest, her tender, loving embrace somewhat soothing me.

Then she pulled away. "Where is she?"

"The ambulance just left," Lucas said before I could even open my mouth.

"Okay," Mrs. Matthews took a moment to control herself, closing her eyes. "Come on, you three. I'm taking you to the hospital.

We all piled into the car for the short ride to the hospital. Along the way, I stared out the window.

My mind was buzzing with all that had just happened. The fire, losing Riley, seeing her hooked up to that machine, not breathing by herself. What more could go wrong? Riley couldn't die, she just couldn't! I'd be lost. . .

She didn't deserve to die like that. She wasn't going to. She had to live! But why wasn't I so sure of that?


	4. Smoke

_Maya's Point Of View_

The car ride was only a few minutes, but each second felt like an eternity. Squashed in the back seat in between Lucas and Farkle, I was finding it hard to breathe- way harder than it should have been.

"Maya, are you okay?" Lucas asked me. I glared at him.

"Of course I' okay, why wouldn't I be?" I snapped.

I knew the answer to that. I was most certainly _not _okay. My best friend could have been _dying. _But Lucas must have known the answer too, because he didn't ask any more questions.

My chest was tight, and with every breath, it felt like someone was stabbing me, over and over again. Almost as if I were still in the middle of the flames. At first, I shrugged it off, thinking I was just imagining things. But when I started wheezing, I knew this was for real.

"Maya, you're _not _okay," Farkle told me.

"You don't think I know that?" I asked, surpised at how low and raspy my voice sounded. I was going to say something else, but before I could, a fit of coughing wracked my body.

"Maya," Mrs. Matthews said, sounding worried. "Maya... How could I have been so stupid?"

My foggy mind couldn't understand what made her so worried. I could see her face in the rear view mirror, and she looked... dead. Her eyelids were surrounded by dark circles, and her eyes themselves were bloodshot from crying. Her skin was deathly pale. It was then that i realized that after a long day at work, she had come home to find her house on fire and her daughter half dead. Now I was just adding onto her stress.

I tried to say something, I really did, but before I could even open my mouth, another coughing fit took over my body, and this bout was worse.

"Oh, shit," Farkle cried. I flinched, not used to hearing those words come out of his mouth. "Mrs. Matthews, she inhaled too much smoke!"

"We have to get her help, now!" Lucas added.

At first, I didn't know who 'she' was. Everything was just happening so fast. By the time I could grasp the fact that 'she' was 'me,' Mrs. Matthews had already begun speeding into the traffic, swerving in and out like a crazy person and jostling me around even more than the coughing.

Before I knew it, we were pulling into the emergency parking lot of the hospital. The ambulance that Riley had been in was already there; Riley was being treated.

The next things that happened are a blur to me. I vaguely remember being lifted up and out of the car by... Lucas.. or was it Farkle? No, he couldn't have lifted me up if he tried... I think he might _have _tried, but I don't really know... It must have been Lucas.

Then I remember hearing voices... and being placed onto a stretcher. There were people in masks- doctors -and they whisked me away from my friends and my friend's mother. I remember being brought into a room where they placed me on a bed and put something- I don't know what- over my nose and mouth. I think they gave me some medication, but I'm not quite sure. At any rate, it was the second scariest thing that had ever happened to me, next to the fire itself.

I've never been a vry religious person. My mom is always working, so I've only ever gone to church with Riley and her family. I don't pray a lot, and sometimes I feel bad for it. But one of the clearest things I remember about those few minutes- or eternities, I dunno- is how much I prayed.

I prayed that I would be okay, that my mom would come when she got off of work. I prayed that Mr. Matthews wouldn't freak out when he found out that both me _and _Riley were in the hospital.

But most of all. I prayed for Riley. That _she _would live and recover. That _she _would go on to live her life, and change the world, with her bright eyes and wide, ever-present smile. That if _I _didn't make it, _she _would.

And then the medication that they may or may not have given me set in. All of my pain, both physical and emotional, began to ebb away, until I slipped into unconsciousness.

**This chapter was short. I know it was. But the next chapter will be up later tonight, I promise. I was going to combine the chapters, but I decided that it would ruin the flow of this chapter. I hope you enjoy!**


	5. Not Alright

**This chapter is going to be somewhat short, too. Nonetheless, enjoy!**

_Lucas' Point Of View_

They had to be okay. They just had to be! I didn't now what I would do if they weren't.

Just a few short months ago, I'd moved to this big city. It was _huge _compared to my home back in Texas. I had been Lucas Friar, the new kid, the cowboy. Okay, maybe I was still considered a cowboy in Maya's eyes, but that's not important.

Mr. Matthews says that everything we do, every day, affects history. Whether you take a left or a right, it changes history. What if I had chosen to sit with someone else the first day at my new school? What if I hadn't met those girls on the subway because I didn't look up from my book? What if-

Okay, I'm getting ahead of myself.

But on that first day of school, when I asked to sit with them at lunch, my life changed. In a few seconds, I was Lucas Friar, the guy with nw friends. Friends who cared about me, friends who I would gladly give my life for.

If either Riley or Maya died, I don't know what I would have done.

It was then, sitting in a hospital chair in between Farkle and Mrs. Matthews, waiting for updates on the girl's conditions, that I realized who I loved, who I wanted to spend the rest of my life with.

I had always known I'd liked her. From the moment she fell onto my lap on the subway. But I had always assumed it was one of those stupid crushes that teenage boys got. Not true love, you know?

But seeing her in that mangled condition she'd been in when the firemen pulled her out of the fire had awakened something in me. I had wanted to know who was responsible for this fire, who had put her through so much pain. Whoever it was, I wanted to hurt them, more than I'd wanted to hurt Billy Ross when he picked on Farkle. And nothing, no one, not even Maya could stop me when I found them.

It had hurt, seeing her like that, Scratched and burned, not even breathing on her own. But I knew I couldn't have shown my real emotions. If I did, then it might have distressed Maya even more. As much as that city girl teased me and annoyed me, she was still my friend, and I hated seeing her so... un Maya-like. And now her life was n danger, too.

"Lucas," Farkle's voice pulled me back to earth/ I blinked.

"Huh?" my voice was hoarse.

"Do you think that... they'll be okay?" Farkle asked with wide eyes.

"Dude, how am I supposed to know?" I snapped, instantly regretting it as Farkle's face fell. The guy had just asked an innocent question, and I'd snapped at him for no good reason. Now I felt even worse. "Sorry, Farkle, I just..." I didn't know how to finish the sentence.

"I know," Farkle said plainly."You're not alone, you know." he leaned back in his seat and sighed, tugging at his turtlenecks as if he couldn't breathe not knowing if the two girls he claimed to love were alright.

Mrs. Matthews hadn't said a word since Maya had been taken away to be treated. I risked a glance in her direction. She kept swiveling her head around as if she were looking for something... or somebody, I realized, as a familiar man with curly hair came into view..

Mr. Matthews' eyes were red and puffy, and tears were streamig down his cheeks. He broke into a run as soon as he saw us.

"Cory!" Mrs. Matthews cried, jumping up and hugging him. Mr. Matthews wrapped his arms around her.

"Topi," he said, is voice cracking. "How-how are they?"

"We should be getting an update soon, sir," I piped up.

As if on que, two nurses approached us. "Are you here for Riley Matthews and Maya Hart?" asked the shorter ofthe two, a plump lady with curly blonde hair and way too much make-up.

Mr. Matthews nodded. "Yes, we-we're here for them."

"How are they?" Farkle asked.

The taller, friendlier looking nurse smiled weakly. "Miss hart has suffered many burns and bruises, and she has inhaled a lot of smoke. But she will survive."

I let out a breath I didn't know I'd held in.

"That's a relief, Mr. Matthews murmurred. I could tell that a huge weight had been lifted off of his chest like it had mine. Maya would be okay!

"What about Riley?" I dared to ask. Both nurses paused.

"Miss Matthews has not been as fourtunate as Miss Hart, I'm afraid," the shorter nurse said slowly. "She has a few broken ribs and many nasty burns across her face."

My heart caught in my throat. _No... Riley... but.. she has to be okay!_

"She was just admitted for surgery, but she's so young." the taller woman added. "She might not be able to handle it. She might not wake up."

My throat felt dry and my head spun. _She.. she might not... wake up..._

I moved faster than I'd ever moved before, jumping to my feet. "You're saying that she might _die?" _I roared. "This is a hospital, you're supposed to prevent this from happening!"

Farkle pulled on my shoulder. "Lucas! You have to calm down!"

I stared at him, easily shaking him off. "Calm down? _Calm down? _Riley's going to _die _and you want me to _calm down?"_

I let the tears flow as I sat down, burying my face into my hands.

"We're sorry about him," I heard Mrs. Matthews apologize for me. "He's one of their closest friends.

"It's alright, ma'm, really. It happens all the time. We're used to it," one of the nurses said. I hear footsteps as they walked away.

"You alright, man?" Farkle asked once the nurses were gone.

"No.. no I'm not," I admitted. "I won't be until.. til I know that.. that Riley's safe."


	6. Less Than A Hart

**Hey guys! I managed to find some more time to write, so... here you go! Another update! Oh, and this chapter contains a reference from my One-Shot, The Best Thing I Got. I'd really like for you to read it if you haven't already. There's something in it that is going to be very important to this story. Anyways, enjoy!**

Maya's_ Point Of View_

I fluttered open my eyes, nit sure what happened or where I was. A plump lady who wore way too much make-up was standing next to the bed I was laying blinked as she noticed I was awake.

"Oh, good, you're awake," she said with a smile that was obviously fake, "Do you know where you are?"

I would have shaken my head, but I felt too weak to do much of anything, "No," I said, painfully aware of how soft and pitiful my voice sounded.

"Do you remember anything about yourself? Name, age, family?"

"What kind of question is that?" I asked. "I'm Maya Hart, I'm twelve, almost thirteen. My family is just... just me and my mom. Don't you dare throw me a pity party. Now can you tell me what happened?" I said, kind of rudely. The nurse glared at me.

"There was a fire,"she said. "In your apartment."

"_My _apartment?" I furrowed my brow, confused. "But I haven't been in my apartment since this morning..."

The nurse didn't say anything. I was going to say something else, but a sudden realization crashed over me. I knew who's apartment had been on fire.

"Riley," I croaked, feeling my eyes watering up. "I-is she okay?"

"Riley Matthews?" the nurse asked.

"What other Riley could I be talking about?" I cried. "Yes, Riley Matthews!"

"She's in surgery as we speak," the nurse said with little to no emotion on her face of in her voice. I blinked.

"Surgery!" a sudden strength allowed me to sit up. I tried to get out of the bed, failing miserably. The nurse pushed me back down, gently laying my head bck down on the pillow..

"Whoa, kid, take it easy," she told me. "You've been through a lot."

"But, Riley..." I breathed. "Will she... will she be all right? She's my... my best friend... I-I should have protected her..."

Warm tears streamed down my face. Usually, I would have fought them back. Maya Hart doesn't cry. But right then, I didn't feel much like a Hart. Even a Clutterbucket was too high. I was less than a Clutterbucket. I was worthless, a piece of dirt. Riley could have been dying because of me.

"We'll have an update on her soon," the nurse reassured me. "But don't get your hopes up. There's still a chance she might not wake up."

Well, that reassurance went down the drain, didn't it? I thought so, too.

I couldn't control myself. I had always hid my true emotions. Riley was the only one who'd ever even seen me cry, and even during those rare times I never cried as much as I wanted to. I concealed myself with a brick wall of wit and sarcasm. I was a tough, rebellious city girl. I was a Hart.

But not anymore. As I bawled into my hands, I was tearing down that wall, brick by brick. I hated myself, I really did. If Riley didn't live, then I didn't want to.

"This is all my fault!" I wailed.

"Shhh...Shhhhh..." the nurse soothed, stroking my back. "None of this is your fault. You-"

"If this is one of those it's-not-you-fault-you-can't-blame-yourself speeches, save it!" I snarled. "I should have protected her! Then _she _would be the one with a chance to survive right now, not me! I don't deserve to live, she doesn't deserve to die!"

"Miss Hart, calm yourself," the nurse said sternly.

I tried to obey, closing my eyes and taking deep breaths. About two minutes later, I was calmer than before.

"I'm calm," I said softly, hating how weak I sounded.

"Listen," said the nurse, looking me in the eye. "You friend is fighting for her life. She needs you to stay strong. I can tell just by talking to you that you care for her very much."

I nodded. "She... she's my best friend. She and her family... they're more like my family than my real family." It felt good to get all of this off my chest, even if it was to a complete and total stranger.

"See?" she asked. "Riley has a lot to fight for. You, her family, those two boys in the waiting room. Her life is worth fighting for, and so is yours. We can only do so much to keep her alive, you know. She will have to do the rest."

I let those words sink in for a moment, then looked up, suddenly curious. "Two boys in the waiting room?" I blinked. _Could it be... Lucas and Farkle?_

"Do you think you're ready for visitors?" the nurses eyes seemed to sparkle. I nodded eagerly. My friends were here!

"I'll go get them for you. sweetie," she said, and left me alone in the room, staring at the blank walls.

"Maya."

I jumped at the sound of a familiar voice. The door had been cracked open, an the face of Farkle Minkus could be seen through the crack.

"Farkle," I said, smiling genuinely for the first time since before the fie. "Come in," I waved him over.

He entered the room, followed by Lucas. They sat down on either side of my bed. Farkle grabbed my hand, squeezing it tightly, and for once, I didn't pull away.

"Maya, are you okay?" he asked, leaning over to wipe a tear from my face. Shit. I hadn't wanted them to see that I had been crying. But one look at their bloodshot eyes and it was obvious that both Lucas and Farkle had been crying, too.

"I'm better, now that you two are here. Where are Mr. and Mrs. Matthews?" I asked. I wanted to see them, too. I subconsciously reached up to touch the locket Riley and her family had given me. "I want to see them."

Lucas looked at me as if I'd grown a second head. I didn't blame him; I'd forgotten to build up my brick wall. He was seeing the other side of me. _Not for long, _I thought. _Consider yourself lucky, cowboy._

"We have good news," Lucas said. he was smiling. "We got an update on Riley!"

"It was two seconds before we were told that you were ready for visitors!" Farkle added.

"What? Tell me!" I cried, getting impatient. The boys looked at each other and grinned. I grit my teeth. they were drawing this out in the longest ay possible. I was mad. "Hey, cowboy, tell me now or I'll climb onto your 'cloud of awesomeness' and _break you."_

Lucas smiled, and I knew why. My brick wall had been repaired.

"So Riley's out of surgery and in recovery!" he began.

"And it looks like she's going to be alright!" Farkle exclaimed, his grin stretching from ear to ear.

"She is?" I blinked, a smile forming it's way onto my face. "She's going to survive?"

Lucas nodded. "She's still under amnesia, but her parents are with her and the doctors predict that she'll be waking up within the next few hours."

I let out a huge sigh of releif as huge weight was lifted off of my chest. Riley was going to live.


	7. Recovery and Reuniting

**Okay, I can't help it. All of this free time I'm getting!**

_Riley's Point Of View_

When I came out of surgery, I was scared, and confused. Even when the amnesia wore off. I felt like my mind was away from my body, you know? As much as I wanted to wake up, my body just wouldn't listen to me. I couldn't do it. I wasn't strong enough.

But I was aware of everything around me, of my mother squeezing my hand, and my father talking to me, stroking my hair.

"Hey... Riles," he said to me. "The doctors... they've done everything they can for you, sweetie." Here his voice- and my heart- cracked. "I-it's up to you to do the rest. A-and if you decide that it's... that it's too hard to fight, don't, okay?"

"It's okay to let go," my mom added, grief evident in her voice. "Just know that your father and I... we love you. Very, very much."

I felt teardrops fall onto my cheeks, and they weren't mine. Then, a moment not unlike a fairytale movie occurred. A sudden strength flowed through me. My lips cracked into a smile as I was able to blink open my eyes.

"Let go?" I asked, surprised at how low and raspy my voice sounded. "Now why would I go and do that?"

"Riley!" Mom and Dad cried in unison. In the blink of an eye, I was pulled into a very tight hug. But a sudden, suffocating feeling washed over me. I yelped in pain and pulled back.

"Mom!" I wailed. clutching my ribs. I looked down at my body. Bandages upon bandages covered my arms and legs. My cheeks were covered, too. I gasped for breath, unsure what to do.

"Help!" I managed to wheeze.

Mom jumped up. "Cory, get a doctor!" she yelled. Dad scrambled up and out of the room.

"I'm scared," I whispered. Okay, 'scared' was an understatement. I was _terrified. _What if I couldn't fight? What if I died, right when in looked like I had a chance to survive?

"I know, honey," Mom soothed, stroking my hair calmly. Who was she fooling? I knew she was just as terrified as I was. Okay, maybe not _as _terrified, considering _she _wasn't the one who couldn't breathe, but you know what I mean.

A swarm of doctors rushed in, ushering my mother out of the way, much to my dismay. They hooked me up to some sort of a machine, and now I was able to calm down, as it took over the job of breathing for me.

"We were sure she could handle breathing on her own," a doctor scratched his head. "Maybe her lungs haven't done as well a we thought..."

"My lungs?" I asked, but either he ignored me or didn't hear me, because he turned to my parents instead.

"Is she going to be okay?" Mom asked. My heart raced and I started to panic.

"She might have to be put under more surgery," the doctor said. "But if we do, she might not be able to handle it."

"But if you don't she'll absolutely one-hundred percent die?" Dad asked.

"We've already had to revive her," another doctor put in. My heart stopped.

"Revive me?" I asked softly. "I died?"

Mom wiped a tear from her cheeks. "You couldn't handle the first surgery."

"So I'm going to die?" I gulped.

"No, ma'am, not if we can control it," a doctor reassured me. "You don't need surgery. You need rest. Recovery doesn't happen just like that-he snapped his fingers-"You know. We'll know whether we need to give you more pain medication or not by tomorrow." he turned to my parents. Mom was clutching Dad's shoulder, her eyes wide. "You need to be more gentle with her," the doctor told them. "I understand that you were glad your daughter is safe. But you could have hurt her even more. Understand?"

"We understand," Mom nodded.

I yawned, suddenly very tired. All eyes turned to me, and I felt my face grow hot.

"I guess I'm kinda tired," I admitted sheepishly.

"Then go to sleep honey," Dad said softly. "We'll be here when you wake up. "

I nodded and closed my eyes, and soon I faded into sleep.

...

My sleep was filled with terrifying nightmares. The smell of smoke was overwhelming-I think I stared to cough in my sleep.

In the dreams, I was back in the burning apartment building. I basically relived the whole fire only it was worse, because I knew that it was only in my head. But somehow it seemed more real.

Either way, the dream ended with me calling out for Maya before I lost consciousness. So naturally, my first thought when I woke up was Maya.

I fluttered open my eyes, expecting to see my parents. But the room was empty. A note had been left on my bedside table, along with a tray of unappealing hospital food. My stomach lurched at the very thought of eating, so I ignored the pain that shot through me and leaned over to pick up the note.

_Riley, _

_Gone to see how bad the fire was. Will be back around ten. Mom is with Maya. Just relax and take it easy for a while. _

_Love you! _

_Dad_

I signed and place the note back on the table. For the first time, I noticed the remote and turned on the TV. My heart caught in my throat as I saw what flashed onto the screen.

A building that just barely resembled my home. I let out a gasp. It was is total ruins! It had completely collapsed. As much as I fought them, tears flooded my eyes. My home, everything I'd ever known, was now gone.

"Authorities still do not know what started the fire," a reporter was saying. I turned off the TV, mad.

But then the door creaked open, and a nurse peeked in.

"Miss Matthews?" she asked.

"Yes?" I asked. My voice was somewhat less raspy than it was earlier.

"You have visitors!" she chirped. "Two young boys by the names of Lucas and Farkle.

I brightened up. "Let them in! "

The nurse laughed and stepped back. And in her place stood Lucas. I had to strain my neck to see Farkle, though I knew he was there.

"Lucas, " I whispered, a smile slowly creeping onto my face.

"Riley, " Lucas said, an even wider smile on his. He stepped over to my bed, Farkle not far behind.

"Riley, we're really glad you're okay, " Farkle said, grinning from ear to ear.

"I'm glad I'm okay, too, " I rasped. "I thought I was a goner! "

Lucas didn't say a word. He leaned down over me, gently picking up my head and cupping my cheeks in his hands. My breath caught in my throat as he closed his eyes. I didn't resist, closing my own eyes, too. He presses his lips against mine.

Sparks flew everywhere. We were the only two people in the world.

Okay, not really. But it _felt _like it.

When our lilittle moment was over, Lucas was the first one to pull away, although it _might _have had something to do with the fact that I wawasn't physically able to pull away. He bent down next to my ear and whispered "I never want to lose you again. "

My heart fluttered as we locked eyes. His green eyes sparkled with so many emotions, I couldn't read his face at all. All I knew was that I never wanted this moment to end.

But it did.

"Ahem, lovebirds, " Farkle piped up. "I'm still here, you know."

Oops, Farkle. I'd almost forgotten he was there.

I looked up, expecting him to look mad. But that was a mistake, because Farkle never gets mad.

He was smiling, a big cheesy grin. He didn't say a word, but it didn't matter. His face said everything. He was happy for me. For us. And that's all that mattered.


End file.
